El Mesón

Gosh, I love this place! They get everything right. The food is delicious, they make service look effortless, and the patio is spacious and you can bring a dog! I usually get Enchiladas Mole but tonight I tried the Enchiladas Suizas. What a good decision that was! Not only did the platter look appealing - the sauce and cheese on top had been beautifully browned under a broiler - but the Suizas sauce had a welcome vinegar tang to it. I've never had Suizas like it and it made for such a great change from the usual. My partner took some of the sauce for his Beefsteak Tacos and declared that he'd be ordering the Suizas next time we go.

Waiter didn't put my meal in and everyone was done eating by the time I got it. Husband got Barbacoa and it was all fat. The guacamole was the smallest portion and you had to pay for salsa. The margaritas also tasted like sour mix.When the check came, the waiter didn't know how to divy out the entrees so we asked to split evenly and he charged to one card by mistake- also provided us with no pen to sign the receipt.

I wanted this place to be perfect. It wasn't quite perfect but it sure was good.Excellent drinks, a nice flight of gauc, and queso just shy of the best in Austin -- but larger than other places so maybe that counts for a lot! And they have freaking REAL tortilla chips, ie, chips made FORM TORTILLAS and not just he mashed corn meal silliness that so many other places pass off as "tortilla chips."In general, the portions are large, which is great. If you are looking for value for your dollar, this place is better than most.Friendly wait staff, and a nice atmosphere make this gem worth returning to. Is it the best of its genre? Nope. But is it worth the visit, the time and the expense? Yep.

Food was mid, service was slow, and we were charged full price for drinks we got during happy hour. You might have better luck with their non-vegetarian dishes as I can not speak for those

El Mèson is hands down my favorite Mexican restaurant in Austin. Their ceviche is the best I have had anywhere, and when I lived for a year in Puerto Vallarta (where ceviche is widely available and inexpensive), I used to fantasize about someday returning to El Mesòn. The owner/ chef is so wonderful and super sweet, the staff is attentive and awesome, the ambiance is lovely and the food is soooooooo gooooooood!!!! ¡Yo El Méson!

I went to El Mesón for a work dinner, and I was blown away by how amazing the food was here. Literally everything I tried was amazing, perfect, and flavorful. A few of my favorites were the pork tamales, the potato flautas, the chicken mole, the green chicken pozole, and the barbacoa. The rice and beans were so good along with their flour tortillas. The chips (thick yet crispy) and salsas were perfect. I ordered a Paloma and was very impressed. I really loved their tres leches cake, which was perfectly moist and not at all soggy. We found the service to be so helpful and kind. I loved how welcoming and warm the ambiance was. I can't wait to go again and try their Sunday brunch.

Located on Lamar, this place is a bit further from Zilker Park than your run of the mill Mexican restaurants (I'm looking at you, Maudie's!) but the extra walk/drive is worth it.The chips are my favorite! It's thick and a bit sweet. It also comes with two types of salsa and pickled veggies. They also have an amazing tamarind cocktail! Their flautas de carne was delicious. The flautas de papa was excellent by itself or dipped in the chicken soup. P.S. They have outdoor seating that isn't too noisy, given that it's right off of Lamar.

I don't know why this place doesn't have better ratings. We went this morning and everything is so yummy. Our server was quick and pleasant too. We had Yucatan style breakfast, chips and salsa and Barbacoa tacos. Their salsa is spicy and tasty, different but really good. Their tortillas are different, we are definitely not in Texas anymore. We came here highly recommended for their Mexican food, not Tex-Mex. And we are not disappointed! Would love to go back for their mole.

EXCELLENT BRUNCH. So many fresh choices. Mexican food sampler is the best I have ever seen. Along with the pancakes and desserts! Definitely coming back!

This was my first time here and I've been wanting to try it for years! The food is all central Mexican. It shares parking with the other restaurants/bars in the complex but we were able to find parking pretty easily on a Saturday evening. We tried:- queso- more like a fundido, it didn't have a ton of flavor. I wouldn't get this again.- taquitos carne - these were delicious, especially the cheese/sour cream sauce on top. However, it was a super small portion size for the same price as other larger plates. - bistek tacos - my friend loved these and said they tasted authentic - enchiladas - these were the crispy kind. They were very good but I think would have been tastier with some sauce on top or available to dip - stew - soo good! I'd get this next time.I'll definitely be back to try more!